Automatic water-signal



No Model.) z-sne'ets-sheet 1".

' W.-H. JOSSELYN.

AUTOMATIC WATER SIGNAL.

110 361,824. Patented Apr. 26,1887.

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N4 PETERS. Phowutho mr, Washinglnn, D. C.

(No Model.)

' 2 Sheets$heet 2. W. H. JOSSELYN. AUTOMATIC WATER SIGNAL.

No. 361,824. Patented Apr. 26, 1887.

N. FEYERS. Photo-Lithographer. Waahingtnn. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT -OFErcE.

WILLIAM H. J OSSELYN OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC WATER-SIGNAL.

SFECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,824, dated April 26, 1887.

Application filed July 20, 1885. Serial No. 172,1Tt. (No model.)

the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to devise a simple and reliable method and apparatus for signaling from one end to the other of a hose or pipe filled with water, making use of the water itself as a means of communicating the signal, and it is especially valuable in connection with steam fire-engines, as it enables the menholding the nozzle of a line of hose to communicate instantly with the engineer when more or less pressure is desired.

It is of course well understood that the men holding the nozzle are more often than not out of sight and hearing of the engineer, and even if they were not out of sight, the distance from the engine and the noise would render it utterlyimpossible for the men holding the nozzle to communicate with the engineer with the voice.

Heretofore numerous experiments have been made, and numerous systems of signaling from the end of the hose to the engineer have been devised; but, owing to the rough usage to which the hose is necessarily subjected and to its great expansion and contraction under different circumstances, none of them have proved successful or been found worthy of adoption, so far as I am aware, and

at the present time it is frequently necessary to send a man from the end of the line to the engineer when a change i n pressure is required In order to wholly do away with this serious evil I have devised the method of signaling which I will now describe, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating a simple and perfectly practical means of carrying out my improved method, the nozzle and the hoseconnection at the opposite end being shown, the hose itself being broken away;

Fig. 2, an end elevation, looking from the left in Fig. 3, a gong being indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 3, a reversed side elevation of the metallic section or body which carries the op- 5 5 principle made use of to produce a signal by a whistle instead ofa gong or bell.- Fig. 7illustrates a modified form, in which the operatingplate is made in the form of a. ring whose central opening is of the same diameter as the internal diameter of the hose instead of a disk, 6

in the center of the body,as in the other form; and Fig. 8 illustrates another modification, in which the operating-plate is rigidly attached to a shaft, which is extended outside of the body and when rotated causes the signal to be given.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, A indicates the source of supply-for example,the reservoir of a steam fire-engine or a hydrant; B, the discharge; G, the engine cut-off; D, the hose; E,

couplings; F, the nozzle; and G, the nozzle cutoff, all of which may be of any ordinary constrnction.

H is a metallic section or body having a female screw-thread to engage the discharge, 8n

and a male thread, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) by which the hose is attached. I is a standard upon the body, to which is secured a gong, K.

L is a bell-crank lever pivoted to the standard. The outer end of this lever is pivoted to a piston, M, which passes through a stuffingbox, N, upon the body and down'into thebody, for a purpose presently to be explained.

I is an arm projecting outward from the standard, to which is pivoted another bell- 9o crank lever, O, which carries the hammer O.

L is a dog pivoted to lever L. L is a pin upon lever L, which acts as a stop to limit the movement of the dog; and L is a spring attached to lever L, the free end of which bears against dog L, to return it to its normal position after the signal has been given.

P is a spring secured at opposite ends to lever O, and to the standard or to a pin projecting therefrom, as shown. ,The action of roe.

this spring is to draw the hammer against the gong. The operation of the ringing mechanism forms no part of my present invention, and any ringing mechanism might be substituted in lieu of the one shown. In the present instance the dog engages the edge of lever 0, so that as the piston is raised and lever L is turned upon its pivot, lever O is likewise turned at the same time, which carries the hammer away from the gong until a point is reached at which the dog slips over the edge of lever O. This allows spring P to draw the hammer against the gong. On the return movement the dog slides over the top of lever until it reaches the edge, when spring L forces it to its normal position. As stated above, however, I make no claim to the special ringing mechanism, and any other style may be substituted, if preferred.

Q is the operating-plate having a horn, Q, at its forward end, which engages the lower end of the piston. This plate is pivoted to swing in chamber R within the body. This plate may be a disk, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and swing in the center of the chamber; or, if preferred, it may be made in the form of a ring, as shown in Fig. 7. The chamber is made of-greater diameter thanthe hose, in order that plate Q may not offer any obstruction to the passage of the water. When the form shown in Figs. 2 and 5 is used, the relation between the width of the plate and the diameter of the chamber is such that the water is notobstructed. When the other form is used, the diameter of the opening in the ring may be equal to the diameter of the hose, or, if need be, greater.

The nozzle F is of ordinary construction, any style of shut-oft being all that is required to complete the signal. The action of the water when let on at the engine or hydrant is to carry plate Q forward to the position shown in Fig. 5 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

Q is a stop upon the operating-plate, which strikes against any solid portion of the device to prevent the plate from being carried too far forward. The plate is hold in this positionthatis, as far forward as the stop will permit as long as the water continues to run through the hose; but as soon as the flow is cut off or seriously checked at the nozzle the direction of pressure is instantly changed and the operating-plate is forcibly thrown back to the position shown in Fig. 2. This forces the piston violently upward, and by means of the levers described or any equivalent means causes the hammer to strike a blow upon the gong.

L is a stop upon lever L, which strikes against the gong, thus acting to prevent the operating-plate from being carried back too far when the nozzle cut-oft is operated.

It will of course be understood that any other simple form of stop may be substituted if preferred. The instant that-the nozzle cutoff is opened the operating-plate resumes the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. This action may be rapidly repeated as many times as may be desired, each backward movement of the operating-plate causing a blow upon the gong. I am thus enabled, by shutting off the water at the nozzle, to strike a blow upon a gong upon the engine, and by opening and again shutting off to repeat the blow.

It will beseen that by causing one, two, three, or any number of blows to be struck upon the gong I am enabled to give as'many different signals to the engineer as the exigencies of the service may require. The gist of my invention lies in the discovery of the change in the direction of pressure that is caused by cutting off the discharge at the nozzle, no matter by what means it is accomplished, and in utilizing the water in the hose or pipe as a means of communication with the engineer. the signals should be'made by a gong, as a whistle or other device may be substituted if preferred, or an inaudible signal may be used. In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a similar device, in which the signal is made by a whistle, S.

The steam is furnished through a pipe, .8, and the operating'rod S is acted on directly by the dog upon bell-crank lever L without the intervention of a second bell-crank lever.

It is of course not necessary that In this form I have shown lever L as pivbest, its action being to draw the piston down after it has been raised.

In Fig. 8 I have shown the operating-plate as made fast to a shaft, Q, which extends through the body and into the gong or bell, the rotary movement of the shaft being utilized to cause the signal instead of a piston, as in the other form. In this form the amount of friction is materially reduced, which under certain circumstances renders it the preferable form.

It should be understood that the location of the signal mechanism has nothing to do with the principle of the invention, as it is obvious that the signaling devices may be placed wher- ICC ever it is most'convenient for them to be seen or heard.

I have shown and described certain novel and practical means for carrying out my improved method, but I do not desire in any manner to limit myself to the means shown and described, as it is obvious that various other means for producing the signal may be I devised which, while entirely different from those shown, will be wholly within the prin- 2. A water-hose having a cut-off at one end and a metallic-section at the other end, in

combination with an operating-plate adapted to swing within said section, a piston connected to said plate and working in a stuffingbox, signal mechanismfor example, a gongsecured upon said section, and mechanism connecting the hammer of the gong with the piston, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The hose, the nozzle cut-off, and metallic section H, in combination with an operatingplate provided with a central opening through which the water passes, a piston connected to said plate, and mechanism connecting the piston with signal mechanism, as the hammer of a gong, whereby each time the water is cut off the operating-plate is caused to move backward and the gong is struck.

4. The combination, with a hose and a cutofi at one end thereof, of a metallic section at the other end having. a plate pivoted within it arranged to swing forward under pressure of the water, and to instantly swing back to its other position when the water is cut off, and signal mechanismfor example, a gong.

5. The hose, the cut-off section H, and a signal, as a gong, in combination with the piston and mechanism connecting it with the hammer of the gong, the operating-plate, and stops L and Q, whiclrhold the operatingplate against moving too far forward or backa WILLIAM H. JOSSELYN.

\Vitnesses:

A. M. WoosrER, O. E. RUGGLEs. 

